Speaking to IANS, VJ Anusha Dandekar said: 'My mum is a cancer survivor. Her cancer was detected at a very early stage and she survived the disease. I had to be a part of this race."

Karisma Kapur, who started the race, said: "I am so happy that so many people have turned up this early in the morning and so many support this cause."

Raaz 3 star Bipasha Basu was unable to attend the event but sent a message saying: "Cancer is a word, not a sentence. Don't let this disease define who you are as a person. There are countless women who brave breast cancer every day. The strength they hold is an inspiration to all.

"Initiatives like the Pinkathon urge everyone to become more aware about the reality which most people like to shy away from. But there is no shying away from the truth."

Former model-turned actor Milind Soman, who organised the event, thanked the participants and his industry friends for supporting the cause.

"We are immensely proud to have garnered such widespread support from different quarters and thank each participant for playing an important part," said Soman. "We trust that this will help women realise that they need to be constantly aware and spread the word around.

"I would also like to personally thank all my friends from the film fraternity, including Karisma Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Soha Ali Khan, Dia Mirza, Shahana Goswami, Kunal Kapoor and Rahul Bose, without whom the event wouldn't have tasted such success."

In 2009, Bollywood/Hollywood star Lisa Ray was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a rare cancer of the plasma cells, and in April 2010 she was declared cancer free following a stem-cell transplant.